This application relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to combustors for gas turbine engine.
Combustors are used to ignite fuel and air mixtures in gas turbine engines. Known combustors include at least one dome attached to a combustor liner that defines a combustion zone. Fuel injectors are attached to the combustor in flow communication with the dome and supply fuel to the combustion zone. Fuel enters the combustor through a dome assembly attached to a spectacle or dome plate.
The dome assembly includes an air swirler secured to the dome plate, and radially inward from a flare cone. The flare cone is divergent and extends radially outward from the air swirler to facilitate mixing the air and fuel, and spreading the mixture radially outwardly into the combustion zone. A divergent splashplate extends circumferentially around the flare cone and radially outward from the flare cone. The splashplate prevents hot combustion gases produced within the combustion zone from impinging upon the dome plate.
To facilitate reducing temperatures of the splashplate, at least some known combustor dome assemblies supply cooling air for convection cooling of the dome assembly through a gap extending partially circumferentially between the flare cone and the splashplate. Such dome assemblies are complex, multi-piece assemblies that require multiple brazing operations to fabricate and assemble. In addition, during use the cooling air may mix with the combustion gases and adversely effect combustor emissions.
Because multi-piece combustor dome assemblies are also complex to disassemble for maintenance purposes, at least some other known combustor dome assemblies include one-piece assemblies. However, such assemblies still require pre-assembly welding and as such, may adversely impact splashplate and flare cone durability.